By William Kelly
Ocean City is losing its beloved Ferris wheel, but it could have very well been an Observational Roundabout.
That was the name given by the inventor of the first attraction we know now as a Ferris wheel, according to historians.
George Washington Gale Ferris, a structural steel engineer from Pittsburgh, built the first steel Ferris wheel which he premiered at the Chicago World’s Fair on May 1, 1893. The fair was called the Columbian Exposition, as it was dedicated to the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ first trip to America.
Ferris’ wheel cost over $300,000 to build, rose to a height of 250 feet (by comparison the Wonderland Pier wheel is 144 feet tall), and was a popular attraction that made much more money than it cost to build.
But William Somers, from Atlantic County, and part of the famous Somers Family that settled Somers Point and surroundings, took exception to Ferris’ wheel.
Born in 1849 to Samuel and Rebecca Somers, William’s father was a bayman, oysterman and innkeeper, like many of the locals of that era.
Eventually William moved to Atlantic City where he married Hannah Middleton of Berlin, Camden County. They had upwards of 10 children (records on the number vary).
William became a carpenter and designed an amusement wheel based on an 1870 wheel that was erected on the beach in Atlantic City. He built a wooden wheel in 1891 in Atlantic City, and later, built two more that were set up in Asbury Park, and Coney Island, N.Y.
Somers called his wheel an “Observational Roundabout.” It held 32 people who paid five cents each for a ride, and rose 50 feet in the air to give spectacular views.
Somers’ Observational Roundabouts were powered by coal-fired steam engines which were as noisy as a train, and drew some neighbors’ complaints. But the Atlantic City roundabout was destroyed by fire from an exploding gasoline lamp, though no one was injured.
Somers had his Observational Roundabout patented in 1892 so when he learned about Ferris’ wheel in Chicago he sued. Ferris acknowledged in court that he rode Somers’ wheel in Atlantic City in 1891, so Somers won the first round in court, but he lost on appeal.
While Ferris became famous, Somers just faded away. Glenn Corbett, an amusement park history buff said, “The poor guy Somers just gets mowed over.”
Although famous, Ferris didn’t make out too well. He sued the World’s Fair organizers for stealing money from him, and his marriage broke up. Within three years he was dead of typhoid fever.
Unlike Ferris, William Somers lived a long and prosperous life. He moved to Camden, then Collingswood, before he got into the movie theater business, operating the Levoy in Millville before opening the first movie theater in Vineland. He also promoted plays and vaudeville theater.
He retired in 1920 and lived in Audubon until his wife died in 1932 when he moved in with his daughter in Vineland. He died in 1935 and is buried at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Millville.
Wonderland Pier was founded in 1965 by Roy Gillian, father of the current mayor Jay.
While it remains unclear what will happen next to the shuttered Wonderland Pier property, it seems all but certain that the iconic Ferris wheel and carousel, both hallmarks of the pier and the community, will go as new owner Eustace Mita advances his plans. In early 2023 his proposal for a $150 million, 325-room hotel was rejected by the city.
Now the question remains as to what will become of the classic carousel and the landmark Ferris wheel. The new owners have not announced their plans, whether there will be an auction of these treasures or otherwise.
With Wonderland Pier covered in white wash, one can only guess.
